This town is so cool. Block after block of grand old stone buildings like this. And then sitting right below them all are the crack heads. I guess the locals all seem to be down at Home Depot.

Day #23 & 24 Winnipeg, rest days.

Had some shopping to do, some bike maintenance to do, some sightseeing to do, an Update to write and a whole lotta relaxing to do. Most was taken care of, although pricing out expensive camping gear in Vancouver then waiting buy it in Winnipeg will likely add up to one hundred dollars to the price. Just something to keep in mind. Note to self, get a credit card.

Canada Update #5

Sigh...my last day of riding through this.

Day #22 Brandon to Winnipeg, 225 km.

I was really starting to wonder when I get my first 200km day. When I started in Vancouver I figured I'd have half a dozen of them by this point, but bear in mind I'm doing this trip on a mountain bike not a roadie. But I finally bagged her today and did it with a 30.9kph average, it felt really good. My only wish was that Winnipeg was 50 km farther away. I got out of Brandon late 10:15 since was planing to get to Winnipeg in two easy days and as I had to try to dry off my stuff from the night before. I was pleasantly surprised to have a decent tail wind when I pulled onto the highway. I soon realized that with some planing and hard work I'd be able to get to Winnipeg today if the wind didn't change on me. That being said the road are just plane scary to ride on in this province and for all the fun I had at times there was sheer terror at others. That is no joke.

Vancouver to Winnipeg in 21 days of riding is pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

Just for a change I biked past this today.

Day #21 Elkhorn to Brandon, 108 km.

Rain, pain, lightning and there was a new issue to deal with today hangover. Woke up to thunder and lightning and figured that being on a bike wasn't the place for me today. But sitting in tent though it all day then having to drink more whiskey all night would have been worse. Was on my bike at noon riding Manitoba shitty highways after things calmed down a little. When I got to Brandon at 5 a full on typhoon was raging I found a campsite put up my tent and sat shivering cold and wet in a Subway restaurant that had the air conditioning cranked to about only ten degrees. My third rough day in a row and I was really feeling worn out and sore by the end of it and getting irritable.

My timing couldn't have been better on this trip. I am getting to see the prairies as they are filled with ripe wheat and getting a ton of classic shots as a result. It is also a great year cause the farmers are getting bumper crops and a little making money for once. It really is a pretty tough life they struggle to maintain out here.

Day #20 Grenfell to Elkhorn, 142 km.

Another, maybe even worse, headwind day, but today it pissed me off more than anything and I somehow mashed out 142km. For anyone who believes that what I'm doing is a romantic and fun way to see this country try 15 minutes on a day like today. I dare you. Never the less today's ride meant crossing into Manitoba and getting a new map to read as I was curled up in bed at night. But getting to Elkhorn also meant I was “stuck” in a campsite with a whole bunch of guys paving the TCH and getting rather inebriated. Which was just what I needed cause at this point my hopes of getting to the Peg in four days were pretty much finished.

Didn't I tell you the sunsets were nice. And the town I was staying in was even nicer. Everyone has to go to Genfell Sask. once in thier lives.

Regina to Grenfell Day #19, 136km.

Since it is 575 km away the plan was to be in Winnipeg in four days after Regina that ment 150 a day over that period of time. This day was the first day I had to deal with a full on day long head wind and a day I'd been dreading since I rolled onto the prairies. Progress was very slow and what with my bike rack breaking on highway despite my efforts I didn't reach my goal.

Just like something out of The Wizard of Oz. There are just tons of old houses, barns and towns like this scattered all over the prairies. They make for some interesting scenery.

Day #18 Chaplin to Regina, 161 km.

Made it to Regina, stayed in town at an expensive hostle with my soul intention of getting the greatest Update of all time out to you. Spent hours writing it all up, but due to technical problems couldn't put it up got piss off. The ride in was great though and the strech of road between Moose Jaw and Regina is the only perfectly straight long boring section of the prairies to bike.

If it's not the cows it's the trains. They're pretty much all the company you get out here.

Day #17 Gull Lakes to Chaplin, 148 km.

Some days are easy and a ton of fun like day 16. Some are bitches and grunts. Today was a grunt. The bad news is that I woke up sick, couldn't really eat and felt like I was gonna puke all day. The good news is that I still somehow squeezed 148 km out of it. I don't know what was wrong with me if it was the notoriously bad Saskatchewan water or the fact that I'm doing this whole trip without bothering to take a day off. Either way it was tough. Also seriously considered dropping down to ride out Sask. on the 13, but after viewing the locals lack of enthusiasm for the plan I decided to stick to the TCH.

These guys are so much fun to bike beside they just watch you as they chew their food and wonder what the hell you are.

Day #16 Red Cliff to Gull Lakes, 188 km.

The easiest 190 I'll ever get. Totally wind-aided and my only problem with this day was wondering how far I'd have gone if I started at a decent time. In the morning I had to go to a bike shop in Medicine Hat to repaire the repaires I'd done on my bike from the mess that Calgary made of things. Doing a tour like this sucks if you don't trust your gear. As a result I didn't actualy get going till 11:45.

Just to let you know what the trucker who hits me in Norther Ontario is going to see just before he slams on his breaks. Er subtract the nice wid shoulders.

Day #15 Bossano to Red Cliff, 152 km.

Spent a day with another cyclist today. It was nice to have some company for a day, but progress was way slower than I'd have liked. I won't be doing that again anytime soon. No offence Pam.

The second you start driving east of Calgary this is pretty much all you see. Till Ontario.

Day #14 Calgaray to Bossano, 134 km.

Although getting to Calagry felt great biking in it sucked eggs. Every inch of the TCH through there is ultra skinny and a construction zone. Three flats in about 2 hours today. I knew they were coming, but I was really hoping it wouldn't be like this. As a reault I didn't really get going till like 11. However it was great to get back into the tent and sleep there again after three straight nights on beds and couches.

the mountains, clouds and moring sun as I pulled out of Banff.

Day #13 Banff to Calgary, 125 km.

My last day of mountains. Gettting into Calgaray was great it was a major landmark for me and it ment that the mountains were done with for good. I was really happy at the end of this ride cause I was finished at 2pm and I stayed at another cousin's place.

The money shot. A nice place to visit but...

Day #12 Banff, rest day.

After 1200km of riding and all kinds of aches and pains to go with it I chilled out here and enjoyed a little of the beautiful mountains and weather.

Canada Update #4

Oh Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' bout.

Day #11 Marble Canyon to Banff, 52 km.

Not wanting to use up all my time in the mountains on just one day's ride. I decided to save some for today and was not disapointed. It is impossible to narow down all the great views into one shot. But this one is kinda cool. It was also great to finally get out of BC and into Alberta, I then rode into Banff and tried to find my cous.

Kootenay National Park.

Day # 10 Windermere to Marble Canyon, 113km.

The views just never ended today. Outstanding weather and beautiful mountains made for a great ride. Unknowingly slept in an empty campground that was closed beacuse there were a high number of bear attacks earlier in the year...oops.

The end of an awesome day.

Day #9 Cranbrook to Windermere, 123km.

Started biking to Fernie and just at the turn off decided to go to Banff/Calgary. It was the best day of the tour till then. As I biked along the Rockies they slowly got bigger and bigger beside me.

Yahk.

Day #8 Creston to Cranbrook, 112km.

Rode to Cranbrook in pissing rain and 18 degree temperatures. I have a jacket with me but I can't wear it cause if it gets wet I will have nothing dry to wear at night and then a miserible evening. So I stuck it out and nearly died of hypothermia. Stopped at Cranbrook cause there was a campsite there and after all the rain I didn't feel like sleeping in a ditch again.

Kootenay Pass 1774m.

Day #7 Burnt Flat to Creston, 72km.

After waking up early I made the 21km climb to the top of the pass in three hours just before it got too hot. I then got to Creston just before it started to piss so I called it a day.

The typical Canadian wall mural. Every single Candian city no mater how big or how small has one of these corny things usually blending elements of multicultuarlism, history and nature. They suck! This one is in Trail BC.

Day #6 Rossland to Burn Flat, 73km.

After I fired off my last Update I got bored sitting in Trail so despite the 36 degree heat I jumped on my bike and after a few hours got my first rain. I ended up right at the bottom of Kootenay Pass.

How sickeningly Canadian is this shot? Red mountain behind Nancy Greene lake.

Day #5 Greenwood to Rossland, 141 km.

A good ride, but very tough. Twice I had to ascend over 1500m. Rossland and Trail however are truely beautiful places that I could spend a long time in.

Canada Update #3

Osoyoos. The hottest place in Canada and they actually advertise it that way.

Day #4 35 km weat of Osoyoos to Greenwood, 113 km.

Hot, hot, hot and climb, climb, climb. I hated this day with everything I had.

Just outside of Princeton.

Day #3 Manning Park East Entrance to 35 km west of Osoyoos, 141 km.

The green disaperas and turns to hot dry desert. The forest fire in Washington State had me breathing ashes all day. Not nice.

Manning Park.

Day #2 Chilliwack to Manning Park East Entrance, 138 km.

A tough day huge climbs.

My road to paradice. This is how I get to spen the next six weeks. No. 2 road outside of Chilliwack.

Day #1 Vancouver to Chilliwack, 104 km.

Canada Update #2

Vancouver.

Canada Update #1

Vancouver.

Vancouver.

And more Vancouver.